August 2, 2010
Rox players take on Dice-K
by NEBJ Staff/
Brockton Rox players got the chance to face Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka in a simulated game in July.
Just hours before their Can-Am League game against the Worcester Tornadoes last month, Chris Valencia, Keith Brachold and Melvin Falu of the Brockton Rox spent the morning facing Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka at Fenway Park.
Matsuzaka, on the disabled list at the time with a forearm strain, needed to throw in a simulated game before being activated to start against Colorado. The Rox’ hitters were recruited by Red Sox advance scouting coordinator Jared Porter to participate in the simulated game, which took place while the Los Angeles Dodgers were in town for a four-game series.
Matsuzaka threw 49 pitches, rotating through the three Rox’ hitters and starting the batters at a variety of counts. Terry Francona was on hand to watch his pitcher’s progress closely, but the Red Sox manager also took time afterward to talk with the Rox’ players. He wasn’t alone in that regard.
“It was a great experience,” Brachold said. “We enjoyed the atmosphere and the opportunity to face major-league pitching, but at the same time, we had a job to do and we took pride in our at-bats.
“The Red Sox’ and Dodgers’ players took time out from their routines to introduce themselves, and everyone we met was great to us.”
Said Rox manager Chris Carminucci, “The Red Sox truly treated us in a first-class manner. Daisuke even came off the mound and thanked our guys after he was finished. It was a great experience for all of them.”
Big-league dreams come true in Can-Am League
For many players in the Can-Am League, independent baseball is their chance to attract the attention of a Major League Baseball organization. Many have already played for big league-affiliated farm teams and are attempting to pave the road back, while others are trying to climb to that level for the first time.
Securing a major league-affiliated contract is a common theme and dream among CanAm players, but the dream turns into reality more often than one might imagine. Normally, though, news of Can-Am players punching their ticket to an MLB-affiliated organization flies under the radar.
When the Pittsburgh Pirates purchased the contract of New Jersey Jackals catcher Jordan Newton, it marked the third time in the past month that a major-league team has dipped into the Can-Am talent pool to sign a player. It also marked the second day in a row the Can-Am League had sent one of its finest to a major-league organization, following the Red Sox’ signing of infielder Argenis Reyes.
Reyes, 27, was a teammate of Newton’s with the Jackals when the Sox purchased his contract and sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket. In 33 games with the Jackals this season, Reyes batted .279 with two home runs and 15 RBI. He had committed just two errors as the team’s starting second baseman.
Reyes was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Cleveland Indians in January 2001. He spent seven seasons in the Indians’ organization before joining the New York Mets in 2008.
Newton, a catcher, was batting .364 in 27 games for the Jackals before packing his bags to join the Pirates’ Single-A affiliate in Bradenton, Fla. He was a sixth-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2006 and spent four years with that organization before joining the Jackals. His stay was short.
Cape CodAll-Stars get national television exposure
The Cape Cod League All-Star Game on July 28 at Fenway Park will be broadcast live by the CBS College Sports Network. The telecast begins at 7 p.m., marking the third time the network has televised the annual game. The CBS College Sports Network also broadcast the 2003 and 2005 games.
“We take great pride in the fact that our players represent the nation’s best collegiate baseball programs,” said Cape League president Judy Walden Scarafile, who is marking her 40th year with the league.
“Those chosen for the East and West Division All-Star teams for this showcase game deserve to be seen by a wide viewing audience, and that is what CBS College Sports Network provides.”
Veteran play-by-play announcer Eric Frede returns to call the action for the third straight year and will be joined by former Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni, who is now a radio and TV baseball analyst in Boston. Merloni, who played at Bourne and Cotuit in the early 1990s, was recently elected to the Cape League Hall of Fame and will be inducted with nine other members in November.
CBS College Sports Network is available nationwide through local cable and video providers, and via satellite as part of DirecTV’s Total Choice Premier Package (Channel 613) and Dish Network’s America’s Top 200 Package (Channel 152). Cable and video providers include Verizon FIOS, AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Cablevision among others. Locally in the Boston and Cape Cod areas, Cape League fans can watch the game on Comcast/Xfinity’s Channel 261 or via satellite.
Last year, Fenway Park hosted nearly 15,000 fans as the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game returned to the home of the Red Sox after a 22-year absence.
